I know, I know ~ we hear it all the time: you want the wind on your face and the sun on your back while visiting a tropical island like Cozumel. And what better way to do this than renting a little scooter to putz around the island right? True ~ and I would be all for it if it weren't so darn dangerous these days!

Since so many Cozumel visitors enjoy this mode of transportation, there are tons of moped rental agencies located in the downtown area, in hotel lobbies or streetside around the cruise ship piers so finding moped rentals should not be an issue for anyone. However, with the increasing number of mopeds, pedestrians, bicycles and cars on Cozumel's narrow streets it is becoming more and more dangerous to ride mopeds around the island especially for those not familiar with traffic flow and streets.

The DANGER of Using Mopeds on Cozumel Cannot be Overstated !

In fact, mopeds have become so dangerous that one of Cozumel's long time expats, Sally Hurwitch, regularly posts on the BB's her Top Ten List and Cozumel Insider is pleased to present it here with Sally's permission ~

Sally's Top Ten Reasons to Pass on Renting a Moped in Cozumel

EVERY day people are "scraped up" off the roads of Cozumel as a result of a moped accident.
Some only suffer some road rash, which is bad enough to ruin a vacation. Others go home in a box.

10. Fast moving taxi drivers trying to get as many people to as many destinations per hour as possible. 9. Mopeds do not have the power to accelerate out of a potentially dangerous situation. 8. Roads have occasional patches of gravel for no reason. 7. There are other tourists on scooters who don't know how to drive them. 6. Scooters have a short wheel base which makes them difficult to maneuver. 5. There are other tourists in rental cars who have just been to Carlos 'n' Charlie's. 4. Beautiful vistas take your breath away, as well as your attention off the road. 3. Most roads are one way, except when they're not. 2. Moped brakes are not always reliable. 1. Most north-south roads have the right-of-way.....with some exceptions.

Get the picture?
So spend a little extra, surround yourself with metal and rent a car!

First, while we at INSIDER offer many things to help travelers enjoy their vacations on the island and for sure we could earn a small fortune assisting folks to reserve mopeds in advance, we simply do not do it. With so many years on the island, I've seen more than my fair share of moped accidents both in town and out on the highways of Cozumel. I carry a First Aid Kit and protective gloves in my car that gets used constantly and most especially in high season for moped crashes.

Second, what locals know but tourists rarely do, is that Cozumel is experiencing a crime wave with regard to moped thefts. Island crime statistics in 2014 indicate that on average 10 (ten) mopeds a day are REPORTED stolen which means even more are actually occurring. Because it's a well known statistic throughout Mexico that due to the ineffectiveness of police investigations and such, over 90% of crime in Mexico goes unreported. If your rented moped ends up being one of those taken, you'll end up paying the deductible IF you opted for insurance.

Be very careful of your surroundings if you choose to rent one, and by all means wear a helmet and take the moped key with you whenever you stop!

HELMETS ARE THE LAW!

After an afternoon thunderstorm, the lack of drainage in the streets coupled with the oil on the streets creates a very slick road.†Itís not advisable to ride a moped during these conditions.